New weight classes coming next season

Updated: April 27, 2011 6:09PM

Starting next season, there will be more opportunities for heavier wrestlers and fewer for lighter ones.

The National Federation of State High School Associations on Tuesday announced the first major reshuffling of wrestling weight classes since 1988. The biggest changes include adding another weight class between 160 and 285 pounds and the elimination of a class below 145. Also, the lightest weight class will be 106 pounds, up from 103.

Coach Mark Miedona of defending Public League champ Lane isn’t a fan of the changes.

“I don’t see the real point to it,” he said. “The biggest concern I heard, they were talking about not having enough kids in the 103 class. How many 106-pounders will there be?”

The change will make it more important for wrestling teams to recruit football players, Miedona said.

“If anything, it hurts our program,” he said. “We’re strong in the light weights and not as strong in the upper weights. ... I think another reason they wanted to add another upper (weight) class is because the country is obese.”

The new weight class lineup (with the current weights) is 106 (103), 113 (112), 120 (119), 126 (125), 132 (130), 138 (135), 145 (140), 152 (145), 160 (152), 170 (160), 182 (171), 195 (189), 220 (215) and 285 (285).

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.